For millions of Americans, it was an event that would be seared into their memories for the rest of their lives – on par with the Kennedy assassination and 9/11. On that chilly January day in 1986, ...

it is with deep, heartfelt sorrow. I address you here this afternoon at 11:40 a.m. This morning Space program experienced a national tragedy with the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger.

The Challenger disaster, a tragic day in space exploration history, took place on January 28, 1986. Just 73 seconds after launch, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, leading to the loss of seven ...

The two tragedies weighed on the minds of agency decision-makers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Two fatal spaceflight disasters ...

Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version of this story misstated the date of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. It occurred Feb. 1, 2003. For millions of Americans, it was an event that ...